The Present invention relates to a metal laminate gasket with fixing devices for connecting the metal plates together.
A metal laminate gasket is formed of a plurality of metal plates laminated with each other. In the metal laminate gasket, after all the metal plates are prepared, the metal plates are laminated and connected together.
As a method of connecting the metal platens, the metal plates may be welded by spot welding, which requires special tools. In case grommets are used around holes, the grommets may be used for connecting the plates, by which all the plates may not be precisely aligned.
Also, plates may be connected together as shown in FIG. 1, wherein a gasket 10 has a lower plate 11 with a bending portion 11a at an outer edge of the gasket, which is turned and located above an upper plate 12 to connect the plates together. A middle plate 13 does not extend to the outer edge so that the bending portion 11a does not project outwardly beyond a main outer surface of the upper plate 12.
In the gasket 10, since the bending portion 11a to be located above the upper plate 12 is formed in the lower plate 11 to extend outwardly from a main portion of the lower plate 11, it requires extra metal for forming the bending portion. Also, because of the projection or bending portion 11a, a raw metal plate for forming the lower plates 11 by cutting can not be efficiently utilized. Namely, a large amount of unused metal strips is formed when forming the lower plates. Further, since the bending portion 11a is simply located on the upper plate 12, although the plates 11, 12 do not move or slide in the direction perpendicular to the edges of the gasket 10 shown in FIG. 1, the plates 11, 12 may slide in the direction parallel to the edges of the gasket.
The conventional method in utilizing the bending portion has disadvantages. However, the gasket may be easily connected together by bending a part of the plate.
Accordingly, one object of the invention is to provide a metal laminate gasket, which can be easily and effectively connected together by utilizing bending portions.
Another object of the invention is to provide a metal laminate gasket as stated above, wherein a raw metal plate is effectively utilized without forming a large amount of unused metal strips.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.